Warm
by girlfromsouth
Summary: Faith and Wes, a few years later.


It was so hot Faith could barely stand it.   
  
She was from Boston, and while they certainly did the summer thing there, it was nothing like this.  
  
It was pushing a hundred today, and the sun felt like a laser. Faith rested her feet against the dashboard and angled the vent next to her so that the cold A/C air blew straight up her body. Sweat had gathered in droplets everywhere and she felt disgusting.   
  
She cracked the window just enough to blow a ribbon of smoke out and waited.   
  
"I thought we agreed you wouldn't smoke in the car," a slightly exasperated voice said as the driver's side door slammed.   
  
"Dude, you think I was getting out in that sauna?" Faith said, giving Wesley an incredulous look. "It's wicked hot!"  
  
"Then don't smoke."  
  
"Rather I waited till we got back to your apartment?"   
  
Wesley made a face and conceded the point. Faith noticed that he did manage to run more yellow lights than usual on the way.   
  
As they climbed out of his SUV, Wesley tossed her a bag of stakes and other various equipment which she caught deftly in her left hand while rubbing her cigarette out on the curb with her right.. She reached into the floorboard for her sandals and followed Wesley toward his building.   
  
"So, any news?" she said quietly. Wesley hadn't brought it up, so if anything she assumed things had not gone well. Sure, he was an ex-Watcher and she was a Slayer, but that hadn't guaranteed them a success in the demon fighting business.   
  
"Not much," he said, finally. He held the door for Faith as they walked inside. "Nothing we haven't already heard about. "   
  
"There will be. You know there will. Angel's…well, not so much in the help the helpless business these days. He's—"  
  
"Too busy looking for Connor," Wesley finished for her.   
  
"Yeah, y'know, if he didn't like *work* for Wolfram and Hart? I'd say he oughta get really scrappy with them for such a suck ass forgetting spell."  
  
"He didn't really want us to forget," Wesley said softly as he pushed the button to call the elevator. "I imagine that had something to do with it."  
  
"You're so smart." Faith simpered in a high-pitched, mocking voice.   
  
"Bitch."   
  
"Ass."  
  
Wesley looked down at her shoulder, suddenly. "You're quite sunburned." His hand moved to touch her, but he seemed to think better of it and pulled back.  
  
"Well, yeah, genius. You made me sit outside watching for that stupid whatever the heck it was demon for ever. It's ninety eight today."  
  
"That whatever the heck it was demon is paying the rent this month. Which I could easily identify for you, only I suspect that you don't care," Wesley said smoothly, cocking an eyebrow at her.  
  
"It still hurts," she pouted.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said, suppressing a smile. "I'm sure there's something in the medicine cabinet for that."   
  
"Oh, now you're all contrite." She pushed by him into the elevator.   
  
Wesley laughed softly and followed after her. "Alright, alright, I'm *sorry*. Okay, not that much, but I don't have the energy for one of your tempers tonight, all right?"  
  
Faith smiled, satisfied. "It's good to be me," she said.  
  
She waited until Wesley found his keys and held the front door open wide. "You know, it used to really freak me out the way you hold doors all the time."  
  
"It's called being a gentleman, Faith," he said dryly.  
  
"Not a lot of those in my neck of the woods," she shrugged. "Mostly, if someone's openin' a door in front of you? They're trying to hit you with it."  
  
"Tempting, I have to say." Wesley smiled as he spoke.   
  
Faith turned and gave him a sharp look. Then she flounced directly to the sofa, picked up the remote and started flipping channels.   
  
There was banging in the kitchen for a moment, then silence.   
  
"A peace offering," Wesley said quietly, holding a yellow ceramic bowl out in front of him. Faith turned, interested.   
  
"Ice cream!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Thought it would help cool you off."  
  
Faith shot him a curious look. "You went to the store without me. There was *so* not any ice cream in this house yesterday."   
  
"I am a man of many surprises," he said with a smile, handing her the bowl. "Two spoons if you're willing to share, your Highness?"  
  
Faith waved her hand in an approximation of what she remembered Princess Diana looking like. "Your service is appreciated, serf."   
  
"Do you even know what serf means?" he asked, settling into the sofa next to her.   
  
"Not really," she said, scooping up a large spoonful. "On the history channel the other day." Seeing the look on his face, she spoke again, "And don't tell me," though by this point, her mouth was rather full and her voice garbled.   
  
Wesley raised his hands, pleading innocent. "Wouldn't dream of it."  
  
Faith balanced the bowl gingerly on her lap and turned sideways, leaning into Wesley's chest. "Better?" she said, indicating the ice cream.   
  
Wesley stretched one arm across the back of the sofa behind her. He then snaked the other around to the bowl and helped himself. "Much."   
  
"You're awfully thoughtful when you want to be," she murmured, licking her spoon greedily.   
  
"Touché. You're terribly charming when you want to be," he added, securing another spoonful. "If a bit like the army in the efficiency with which you're attacking this stuff. There is more, you know. I bought two gallons."  
  
She looked down, chastised, "Hey I have a weakness, okay?"   
  
"Nothing wrong with that," Wesley said, as half-melted ice cream dripped from his spoon onto the stretch of skin between Faith's neck and shoulder blade. "Oh, sorry," he said apologetically "That was accidental."  
  
"Actually? Feels kinda good," she said. "Nice and cold. Y'know, on the sunburn and all."   
  
Wesley leaned forward an inch and licked the line of chocolate off, allowing his tongue to run all the way up to her earlobe. Faith shuddered slightly and blushed.   
  
"Okay, you're so doing that again later tonight," she giggled and shivered again.  
  
"Why do you think I got two gallons?" Wesley craned his neck and stared at her as though she'd suddenly gone crazy.   
  
Faith's eyes widened and she smiled excitedly. "I think you are probably the most amazing man on earth."  
  
"So I've been told," he said dryly. "Honestly, you've been complaining about the heat for days."  
  
"Keep this up, I think I could get to like the heat."   
  
"Oh, me too." Wesley concurred with a smirk. "Particularly if it encourages you to wear more of those ridiculously tiny dresses."  
  
Faith snorted and licked the last bit of ice cream from her spoon, dropping it back into the bowl with a clattering noise. She fit her head easily into the crook of Wesley's neck and closed her eyes with a sigh.  
  
"Hey, Wes?" she asked softly.  
  
"Yes?" he replied, leaning his chin on her hair.   
  
"Think this is what it feels like to be happy?"  
  
"Well, I'm no expert on the subject, but I'd say it's pretty close." 


End file.
